Fateful Meeting
by XOiHeartMiloOX
Summary: When Soubi, a college art student, went out to look for some new inspiration, he witnessed something that changed his life forever. Soubi/Ritsuka AU
1. Mystery Boy

Chapter 1- Mystery Boy

"Hey, let go of me! Ouch! That hurt! Stop it! I said, let go of me!"

Soubi heard someone yelling about a block away. He tried to follow the voice as best he could, and it ended up taking him to the park. _"How can trying to find some new inspiration, lead me on a wild goose chase? Why not send me a butterfly, I always like painting those. But I guess that's the main reason I'm out here. Apparently Professor Scott doesn't appreciate my work and told me to find something 'new' and 'fresh'. I guess I could see where this takes me."_ Soubi continued on through the park and eventually came upon a small swampy area. He looked across the water and saw a kid lying face down in a puddle of water and mud. It didn't look like he was breathing, so Soubi rushed over to check on the small boy.

When Soubi reached the boy, he gently turned him onto his back and saw the numerous scars on the porcelain like face. He also noticed the scrapes and bruises that covered the feeble boy's body. Soubi looked around for the culprit behind the boy's attack and screams for help, but found no one else around. Since he couldn't just leave him there, Soubi carefully picked the boy up, bridal style, and carried him to his apartment.

After finding his keys and trying to open the door, while carrying a body, Soubi placed the boy down on the couch and started a warm bath. Once the bath was ready, he collected the boy and took him into the bathroom, where he undressed and washed him. When Soubi finished draining the tub, he dressed the boy with some of his clothes, which were a tad big, and laid him on his bed. Soubi got the first aid kit and started wrapping up the boy's wounds. Finally finished, Soubi tucked the mystery boy in, and waited for him to wake up.

Since the boy was in a deep sleep, Soubi decided to get some work done and maybe clean up the house a bit. He had been so busy lately, with his final project being due soon, and hadn't been home, resulting in a dirty apartment.

Five hours had passed and Soubi cleaned every room, did the laundry, and even sat down and paid all his bills. He was currently deciding on what to paint for his final project, when he heard soft footsteps behind him. He turned to see the mystery boy walking towards him cautiously. "So, I see you're awake. Did you have a good sleep?" The boy nervously made his way over to Soubi, but still stayed a good distance away. "Um, who are you? Where am I? And did we, um…" The boy reached up, looking for his ears. Once he found them, he sighed in relief and looked back over to Soubi, wanting an answer to his previous questions. Soubi chuckled at his innocence. "I'm Agatsuma Soubi. You're at my apartment. And no, we didn't have sex, if that's what you're worried about. Can I ask your name?" The boy blushed slightly upon hearing Soubi's blunt answer. "Um, I'm Aoyagi Ritsuka. If we, um, didn't have, um…" Ritsuka looked around the room instead of at Soubi. "Sex." Soubi answered for him when he saw how embarrassed the boy was. "Yea, so what happened?" Soubi got up and lit a cigarette. "Well, I was hoping you could tell me. I heard you screaming, so I followed you. When I found you, you were alone and face down in muddy water. I couldn't leave you there, so I took you back here and cleaned you up. Sorry about invading your personal space, but I had to clean you and your wounds somehow. I swear, it wasn't anything perverted, if that's what you're thinking." Instantly, memories of earlier rushed back into Ritsuka's head. Soubi saw the look of terror on Ritsuka's face and decided to change the subject by asking if he was hungry. Ritsuka looked up and nodded innocently, his ears flattening against his head and his tail swaying back and forth. "What would you like to eat?" Soubi yelled from the kitchen. "I don't care. Whatever you want, I guess." Of course, the child-like response that never helps any situation. "Well, are you allergic to anything?" Soubi popped his head out of the kitchen, so that he could hear Ritsuka better. "No, not that I know of. Please, whatever you make is fine." Soubi nodded and went back to cooking dinner.

About 30 minutes later, Soubi came out with an assortment of sushi, some fish, noodles, and of course, rice. As Soubi was setting the table, Ritsuka sat there in awe. Never, had he seen this much food all at once. It was a feast fit for a king. After adding the finishing touches and bringing out some drinks, Soubi called Ritsuka over. Ritsuka didn't need to be told twice that it was dinner time and raced right over. He took his seat where the coke was and waited for Soubi to grab a beer. When both were seated, Ritsuka served the rice (he insisted) and then they dug in. Soon enough, most of the food had been consumed and they were currently sitting, thinking about what to say next. Soubi had a few questions for Ritsuka, but didn't know if now was the best time to ask him. He did feel the need to ask him one very important question, though.

"Ritsuka, it's getting kind of late, isn't your mother worried?" Ritsuka wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering Soubi's question with a question. "Why should she be?" he asked stubbornly. "She should because she's you're mother and she loves you." "How do you know!? You met me today, so you don't understand! My mother shouldn't be worried because she doesn't know I'm here!" "Well, where does she think you are?" Ritsuka was almost on the verge of tears. "She thinks I'm dead! She's locked up somewhere and I haven't seen her for 2 years!" Shocked, Soubi looked down guiltily. Ritsuka saw that he made Soubi upset and felt really bad. "I'm sorry Soubi, I shouldn't have yelled. It's just that she's always been a sore subject to talk about. The truth is, I have no place to go." "And you're father, where is he?" Ritsuka looked downcast. "I don't know. He left 3 years ago, right after my brother died. That's when my mother got worse, and I guess he couldn't take it, so he just got up and left." "So, you've been living on your own for 2 years?" "Um, not exactly, but I don't really want to talk about that right now, or ever." Soubi decided not to push him into telling him everything. He'd let Ritsuka tell him when he was ready. Soubi watched Ritsuka swish his tail, back and forth, with a depressed look on his face. Shocking both Ritsuka and himself, he asked, "Well, if you want, you could always stay here. I mean, I know we just met, but I have a guest room you could use, and it beats sleeping outside somewhere. Plus, I have a fridge full of food.

Ristuka took his time thinking about whether or not it was a good idea and if he could trust Soubi. After pondering for an hour, Ritsuka finally made up his mind. "Um, Soubi, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to take you up on your offer." Soubi looked up from his unfinished painting and smiled. "I'm glad, now the apartment won't seem so lonely. And Kio will stop asking to move in." Ritsuka looked at Soubi, confused. "Who's Kio?" Soubi grimaced at the name. Kio was a good friend, but there was only so much of him that Soubi could take. "Kio's my friend, sort of. I'm sure you'll get to meet him soon. He may come on a bit too strong, or be a little too over dramatic, but he means well. He might also have an objection to you living here, but that's only because he wants to move in himself, so don't listen to anything he says about that." Ritsuka nodded and moved a little closer to Soubi.

"Soubi, what are you painting?"

"It's a surprise."

"Aw, come on, tell me."

"Not until it's done. Then I will show you and hopefully you will know what it is."

"Fine, but it looks good so far."

Soubi blushed slightly while looking at Ritsuka's innocent face. Ritsuka was gazing at the colors that Soubi was going to use, and he noticed Ritsuka's ears twitch a bit. It was almost like Ritsuka was using his ears as a radar. All of a sudden, you could here someone running up the stairs, and throwing the door open. It didn't take Soubi more than a second to know who it was.

"Soubi, I've brought you some food! Maybe, I could help you eat it!? What do you say I-Oh, My Gawd!!!" Kio was now standing, dumbstruck, pointing at Ritsuka. "Hey, Soubi, where'd the kid come from? Are you one of those sick pervs that uses kids, and a boy no less? I mean, if you were bored and wanted some _attention _I would've been happy to help _ease_ your anxiety." Soubi sat up rather angrily and aimed his notebook at Kio. He hit him in the back of his head and leaned back down in his chair. "No Kio, I'm not like that. This is Ritsuka, and he's going to be staying here a while, so be nice and don't scare him, I mean it." Kio was taken back by the tone of his voice when Soubi said, _"I mean it."_. He never heard Soubi talk that way to anyone. "I'm always nice, Soubi. But why is a kid staying with you? It's a little weird, don't you think? What if people find out? What will they say? Soubi, you could ruin your future, just remember that. I wouldn't want your career to end so suddenly because of some kid you found and took home." Soubi saw how uncomfortable Ritsuka was getting. He saw him fidget with his hands and flatten his ears against his head.

"Kio, leave."

"What, why?"

"You're bothering Ritsuka. And what did I say? I said NOT to scare him. So either shut up, or leave because honestly, I don't care what you're talking about. I wasn't even listening to you. So really, you being here is a waste of mine and Ritsuka's time. Make your choice before I'm forced to kick you out myself."

Kio just stood there and thought about his options. "Fine, if you're going to be mean, than I don't want to be here." Kio stormed off and left. Ritsuka continued to sit there, and felt bad for getting Kio in trouble. "I'm sorry, Soubi."

Soubi looked up, confused as to why Ritsuka was apologizing to him. "Sorry for what?" Ritsuka started to fidget with his hands again. "For getting you mad at Kio. I mean, he would've never gotten in trouble, had I not been here. You know, maybe this isn't such a good idea. Maybe, I should just leave. Ritsuka stood up and headed in the direction of the door, when he felt a large hand reach out and grab his small wrist. He spun around to find Soubi latching onto him via wrist. The more Ritsuka tried to get free, the tighter Soubi held on. "Don't leave. I want you here. No, I need you here."

**Heyy everyone, just to let you know, this is my first Loveless fanfics, so I'd appreciate any reviews or criticism. Thanks for reading and tell me what you think!**

**Much luv,**

**XOiHeaRTMiLoOX**


	2. A Stormy Night

**A/N- I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who decided to continue with my story! Oh, yea, I forgot to disclaim my story, so here goes, **_**"I do not own Loveless, nor do I plan on doing so in the future."**_** Now, on with the story!**

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**Recap**

Ritsuka stood up and headed in the direction of the door, when he felt a large hand reach out and grab his small wrist. He spun around to find Soubi latching onto him via wrist. The more Ritsuka tried to get free, the tighter Soubi held on. "Don't leave. I want you here. No, I need you here."

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Chapter 2- A Stormy Night

Ritsuka was surprised to hear the words coming from Soubi's mouth. Hadn't they just met? Soubi saw the look of discomfort in Ritsuka's eyes and felt a bit ashamed. He let go of the boy's wrist, and turned to continue on with his painting. "I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me. We just met, and that last statement probably just freaked you out. Stay or go, it's your choice." Ritsuka could hear the sincerity in Soubi's voice, so he decided to take a chance.

All his life, Ritsuka had been pushed around, and never made a decision for himself. If there was a problem, the answer was already decided for him. He never had any say in the matter, not with his mom, and not when he was at-No; he was NOT going to go there. He promised himself that he would never bring up that part of his past again. Realizing that he had no where else to go, Ritsuka decided to trust Soubi.

"Ok, but don't try anything!" Soubi was amused by Ritsuka's 'tough act', and thought that the young neko boy looked cute. He knew it was wrong to think that way about minors, but Soubi somehow felt connected to Ritsuka. He also knew that if anyone else found out about these feelings, they'd never let leave him alone about it, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Um, Soubi, can I watch you paint?" Ritsuka looked up at him innocently while his tail swished back and forth. Soubi paused his painting to look up at Ritsuka and give him a smile. "Of course, you may stay as long as you wish. I just ask that you keep your talking to a minimum so that I can concentrate." As Soubi continued, Ritsuka failed to notice the shady character creeping outside the window.

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By the time Soubi finished his artwork, it was 10 PM. A storm had started outside and thunder was booming after every bright flash of lightning. Each bolt lit up the apartment and the illumination was what kept Ritsuka up. He flinched from the roaring sound of thunder through his delicate cat ears as he curled up into a ball and tried his best to fall back asleep. After 30 minutes of trying, Ritsuka gave up and headed into the kitchen. On the way, he walked into the bookcase, a coffee table, and a wall. He still wasn't used to the new surroundings and it was even more difficult to maneuver in the dark. Granted he had the bolts of lightning to help show him the way, the time between each flash was the problem. When he finally got to the kitchen, he opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk. He also managed to find a saucepan and the stove. Ritsuka proceeded to heat up some milk, when he looked out the kitchen window to find a man staring back at him. Ritsuka dropped the pan, creating a mess everywhere, and gave a loud yelp, causing the stranger to disappear back into the night.

As Ritsuka was trying to clean up the milk, the lights flipped on to find a very flustered Soubi. His hair was in disarray and his clothes were disheveled. He wore a worried expression on his face while trying to find out why Ritsuka was screaming. "What happened?" Soubi slurred, still trying to wake up (it was 3 in the morning). He found Ritsuka cleaning diligently, even using his tail to finish as quickly as he could. Soubi went over to Ritsuka and bent down to see what was wrong. Tears adorned the young neko's face and Soubi brushed them away, making room for new ones to fall.

"Ritsuka", Soubi asked gently, almost a whisper, "what happened? Are you alright?" Still getting no response, Soubi carefully picked Ritsuka up and carried him to his bed/couch. Since the couch pulled out into a queen size bed, Soubi placed Ritsuka down and sat next to him, leaving some space between them. It was 10 minutes before Ritsuka calmed down some and stopped crying. He curled his tail around his ankles and flattened his ears, in more of a sad motion than angry one. Soubi came back with a mug of warm milk, since Ritsuka dropped all of his on the floor, and handed it over to him. Ritsuka gingerly took the mug and noticed the butterfly outlined handle. It was a little awkward to grasp, but Ritsuka kept a firm grip on it. He graciously drank every last drop of milk before turning to Soubi, who took Ritsuka's mug and placed it on the coffee table. "Thank you Soubi. That was really good. Did you add something to it?"

Soubi turned and gave Ritsuka one of his 'true' smiles. "Yes, I added some honey. It was something my mother used to do for me when I was feeling a bit down. I guess I picked it up from her. But now that you're calm, will you please tell me why you were up at 3 in the morning?" Soubi looked at him concerned.

Ritsuka squirmed in his seat as if scared that he was going to be punished. "I'm sorry, please don't be mad. I just couldn't sleep because of the storm, so I thought I'd try some warm milk to help me sleep. I didn't mean to make a mess, but I thought I saw someone in the window and it scared me. I really am sorry…"

Soubi saw the discomfort in Ritsuka's face and posture. He didn't know what happened to the kid before, but he had to make sure that Ritsuka wouldn't be afraid of him. "It's ok Ritsuka, I was just wondering. You're not in any trouble, but did you say that you saw someone?"

Ritsuka was relieved to know that he wasn't going to be punished, and he nodded his head. "Yea, he was right outside the kitchen window. It was dark, so I couldn't really see him, but he had a dark trench coat on and a hat. He also had an umbrella because of the rain. The umbrella was what covered his face. When he heard me scream, he ran."

Soubi got up and headed into the kitchen. As he thought, no one was there, but he did have to wonder if that was the same presence he felt earlier on when he was painting. He didn't want to say anything to Ritsuka, but there was definitely someone sneaking around outside his apartment. It started today, so Soubi could only assume that it was because Ritsuka was here. "Well Ritsuka, I checked outside and no one was there, so I think that whomever was there, is gone for now. Do you think you can sleep?"

Ritsuka felt a bit calmer to know that he was safe, and he settled under the covers. "I'll try and Soubi thanks again. Good night."

"Good night Ritsuka." Soubi tucked him in and shut off the lights as he walked back to his bedroom to get another hour of sleep before he had to wake up for class.

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**A/N- I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that reviewed and especially those who gave me some pointers to make my story better! I'm glad that I have the support behind this story and I hope that you keep reviewing, it encourages my writing! Hopefully the next chapter will be longer! **

**Much luv,**

**XOiHeaRTMiLoOX**


	3. Unexpected Guest

Chapter 3- Unexpected Guest

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"I've found the boy, sir."

A man appeared from the dark shadows, but just enough so that his face was still covered. "Good. Send out No.13."

"Yes, sir."

The figure descended back into the darkness, having only his silvery locks to light his way. Before he left, he turned his head back to ask, "By the way, who took No.12 in?"

"A Mister Agatsuma Soubi, sir."

The man turned back to the pitch black hallway and proceeded onward. "Interesting. Very interesting."

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When Ritsuka woke up, he found an empty apartment. As he ventured around the flat, looking for Soubi, he failed to notice the note on the fridge. He finally gave up and headed into the kitchen to get some breakfast. Ritsuka went to open the door, to get whatever milk was left, and saw the note taped to the handle.

_Ritsuka,_

_I had to wake up early to go to class, but I should be back by lunchtime. If you want, you can make something to tide you over until I get back. Please don't burn the apartment down and don't let anyone else in. I hope you had a good sleep!_

_Soubi_

Ritsuka crumpled the note and threw it away. As he was making a bowl of cereal, he heard the doorbell ring. Ritsuka decided to ignore it and let whoever it was stand there until they got the message. Unfortunately, this person was being persistent and wouldn't leave him alone, so he snuck over to the window and inconspicuously took a peek outside. The moment he saw who it was, Ritsuka was at the door faster than the Roadrunner himself.

Ritsuka's tail was swishing happily as soon as he got to see his guest's smiling face. "Yuiko!" Ritsuka enveloped her in a big hug. He let go and allowed her to enter the quiet apartment. She looked around in awe at all of the paintings that adorned the off-white walls. There were butterflies of all colors and sizes everywhere. It made you feel like you were a field of them at that very moment. When they got settled in, Yuiko watched Ritsuka carefully. "Um, Ritsuka, are you ok?"

Ritsuka saw this coming, so he answered calmly, "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

Yuiko, being upset with his answer, threw the teacup that he had given her earlier. Tea and porcelain flew everywhere and Ritsuka flinched back in fear of the outburst. "How can you be so calm after that!? I mean after what he did to you, even I was scared for your life! Don't you dare take this lightly Aoyagi Ritsuka!" Yukio huffed and tried to calm herself.

"How did you even find me anyways?" Ritsuka asked in the same monotone voice as before. "Uh, um, I kind of sensed it. I snuck out when _he_ wasn't looking and somehow made it out. Now the only trick will be to get back in, but if I've planned it correctly, no one will be around if I make it back by 8 tonight. So, can I stay for a bit?" Yuiko looked over innocently while Ritsuka massaged his left temple and nodded in approval. Yuiko jumped up happily and bounced over to Ritsuka, who gladly accepted her affections.

Minutes had turned into hours as the two friends spent the day together. They had played board games, card games, and even made cookies. They had just finished the batch of cookies when Soubi walked in, tired from his long classes. He smelled something strange and rushed into kitchen to find Ritsuka covered in flour. _"He's so cute. The white flour contradicts his midnight hair perfectly."_ His thoughts were stopped by another presence in the room. Soubi's eyes wondered over to the refrigerator door to find a tall, skinny, well developed girl holding a jug of milk and an ice pack. As Yuiko closed the door, she to, noticed an extra body in the room and moseyed her way over to him. She stopped by the counter to put the milk and ice down so that she could properly introduce herself without dropping anything. She went over and bowed respectfully. "Hello, I'm Yuiko. I'm a friend of Ritsuka's and traveled here to see him today. I'm guessing that you're Soubi, so I would just like to say 'thank you' for protecting Ritsuka the way that you did. It was very noble of you, and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart."

Yuiko stood back up straight to find Ritsuka blushing. Soubi saw it too, and smirked in amusement. "I am Agatsuma Soubi, and I was happy to help Ritsuka. Might I ask where you came from? Ritsuka didn't mention that he had any friends." Ritsuka's ears twitched and he marched over to Soubi. "Hey, stop talking as if I were dead and I don't think it's polite to think, let alone say, such mean things about me."

Soubi was amused by his naïveté, and patted him comfortingly between the catlike ears on his head. "I'm sorry Ritsuka, it won't happen again. I was just trying to find something out about you. I didn't mean to offend you." Ritsuka looked down to hide his slight embarrassment. "You know, you could've just asked me." Soubi was happy to hear that Ritsuka gained a little more trust for him and planned to use it to his advantage. "I didn't know, but next time I will, I promise. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go and finish a painting for class. Make yourself at home Yuiko."

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Soubi went to his studio, but didn't work on his painting. He sat on his stool, staring at the canvas in front of him. It was halfway done, and he couldn't wait to give Ritsuka the welcoming gift. There was still something that Soubi was trying to figure out. _"Where did Yuiko come from? I find it a little weird that she decides now, of all times to show up. And how did she know Ritsuka was here? I took him in only yesterday. Something's not right, and I intend to figure it out, for my safety, and Ritsuka's._

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7:00 PM rolled around and it was time for Yuiko to head back. She gave Ritsuka a big hug before she left the vicinity. Ritsuka was sad to see her go, but he knew that he would see her again. Closing the door, Ritsuka let out the breath that he didn't know he was holding in. "What's wrong Ritsuka?" Soubi came out of his study upon hearing Yuiko leave. Ritsuka plopped himself onto the couch and leaned his head back. Soubi came up behind him so that Ritsuka was looking up at Soubi. A faint blush came across his face as he noticed the blonde closely observing him. "Are you ok? Your face is getting red. Could it be that you have a crush on me?" Soubi asked smugly.

Ritsuka popped up and tried to hide the even darker blush that washed over his face. "O-of course not, Soubi, I only just met you, and besides, we're both guys. Also didn't you notice the giant age gap? I mean, we're like what, 8 years apart? That's not only weird, but illegal! How could you ever think something like that!?" Ritsuka tried to even out his breathing while Soubi smirked at the little neko boy. "Weirder things have happened." Soubi stated bluntly. "What!?" Shock passed throughout the boy. "I'm kidding Ritsuka. You sure do get worked up quickly, don't you?"

"Don't say such silly things Soubi; it makes you sound like a pervert." Ritsuka looked up and smiled at the tall blonde as he playfully hit him in the arm. Soubi chose to play along. "I take offense to that Ritsuka; I am not a pervert." Soubi decided to take a chance and leaned over Ritsuka. The dark shadow that emitted from Soubi made Ritsuka look up at him with big, innocent, purple eyes. He was scared of what Soubi might do, but unintentionally let out a laugh as Soubi started to tickle his sides. Ritsuka thrashed his arms and legs about as Soubi continued to make the boy squeal in delight. He noticed the boy was sad earlier and thought that this was the best way to cheer him up. He finally ceased the tickling and sat on the couch next to Ritsuka.

Ritsuka nudged Soubi with his shoulder and turned to face him. "See, I told you you're a pervert." Soubi chuckled at Ritsuka's innocent tone. "Well, at least I got you to smile. This was the first time that you've shown your true self. All of your other smiles have been fake, so I hope this helped a little." Ritsuka leaned over and gave Soubi a quick, brief, one-armed hug and sat back down. "Thanks Soubi, but I'm kind of tired, so do you think I could go to sleep?"

"You don't have to ask me, you know that."

"Yes I know, it's just that you're sitting on the pull-out, so I need you to move." Ritsuka said bluntly. Soubi snickered upon hearing Ritsuka's dilemma and quietly got up. He watched Ritsuka pull out the bed and fix the covers the way he liked them. Once he was settled, Ritsuka jumped into bed and snuggled deep into the comforter. "Goodnight Soubi." Ritsuka genuinely smiled before falling into a deep sleep. "Sleep well Ritsuka."

Soubi turned off the light and as he walked past Ritsuka, he patted his head before locking himself in his studio to finish his painting.

**A/N- I'm sorry that this chapter took a little while to update, but because of my ACT classes and my research paper, I haven't had much time to write. I hope you can forgive my tardiness and I hope that you've enjoyed this chapter. Once again, thanks for the continued support!**

**Much luv,**

**XOiHeaRTMiLoOX**


	4. Kio's Warning

A/N- I hope everyone had a marvelous Easter; I know I did

**A/N- I hope everyone had a marvelous Easter; I know I did. Watching my family try to play DDR was the highlight of my life, and should be the next comedy hit! Haha **

**Also, I was looking back to chapter 2 and in the beginning Ritsuka asks to watch Soubi paint, but in chapter 1, Soubi didn't want Ritsuka to see what it was that he was painting. We're going to assume that Soubi switched paintings when Kio came over, and I am deeply sorry if I confused anyone; I know I confused myself. **

**Anyways, here's the next chapter, so enjoy!**

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About a month had passed, and Soubi hadn't felt the presence of that man lurking around outside of his apartment. Ritsuka had been as clueless as ever, but Soubi thought that that was for the best. He didn't want Ritsuka to worry more than he already did when he first came to stay with him.

Even though it had been only a month, to Soubi, it felt like he'd known Ritsuka all his life. He had watched Ritsuka carefully and figured out what he likes and what irritates him to no end. Like how Ritsuka will eat fish with rice, but if it was touching the rice on the plate, he would push it away and not eat it at all. _"So that's why he always offers to serve the rice."_ Soubi thought the first time he had seen Ritsuka do that. He also noticed that Ritsuka will only drink milk, cold or warm, in a mug. When Soubi asked him why he wouldn't drink milk in a glass, Ritsuka responded, "It's because I despise the sight of milk, but I love the taste. If it's in a mug, than I won't be able to see that I'm drinking it." Soubi laughed at his answer, which upset Ritsuka, and his punishment was Ritsuka avoiding him all day. He remembered it being a very lonely day, even when he went to hang out with Kio and he thought of their conversation when they were at the café.

"_I still can't believe you took in that kid, Sou-chan. I mean, what about his parents? Aren't they worried that some 20 year old has their son?" Kio swirled his tea with a spoon as he waited for Soubi to answer him._

"_He doesn't have any parents, and he wouldn't tell me about his previous living arrangements, but I'm guessing that they weren't good. And I don't think that you should worry about it, Kio. I know what I am doing, and that is taking care of Ritsuka. I am nothing more than a care taker and a friend." Soubi watched as Kio put down the spoon and leaned across the table towards Soubi._

"_Than why won't you go out with me? I've been waiting for you patiently, Sou-chan, but every time I see you with that kid, I feel like I keep falling farther and farther from you. I can't help but think that one day, you'll have no need for me anymore, and I'll be cast away; because you're not only my crush and my love, but also my friend." Kio looked down dejectedly at his tea, and was surprised to feel a warm hand on top of his. Soubi had compassion in his eyes as he spoke._

"_You're not being cast aside; it's just that Ritsuka needs me right now. I promise that everything will be back to normal soon, but I'm sorry, I can not accept your love." Soubi removed his hand from Kio's and rose from the table. Kio desperately tried to keep Soubi from leaving._

"_It's because you love Ritsuka, but how could you do that to him? Just think about that before you do anything too drastic. Goodbye Sou-chan." _

It had been 5 days since then, and Soubi couldn't get that last line out of his head. What was Kio warning him about anyways? As he was pondering over his potential predicament, Soubi watched Ritsuka sleep on the comforter that he placed on the floor.

Ritsuka's lithe body breathed in and out, causing his chest to rise and fall slowly, which put Soubi at ease. The neko-boy's tail subconsciously wrapped around his ankle as his ears hung loosely off of the mass of midnight hair. This was Soubi's favorite time; not because it was silent, but because Ritsuka had that calm look that only occurred when he was in a deep sleep. The boy was always too serious, and needed to learn to break down some of his defenses. This was on Soubi's 'To Do' list; first have Ritsuka trust him, next break down his defensive wall(s), finally protect him from whomever tries to take him back.

While Soubi was thinking about his 'list', he failed to notice Ritsuka stir and sit up, rubbing his eyes. Ritsuka padded over quietly to where Soubi was deep in thought and sat down next to him, with a blanket around his shoulders. Ritsuka loved watching Soubi when he was like this. It was like he was off in his own little world. From the way his brows furrowed when there was a problem, to the far off gaze that sometimes adorned his flawless face, Ritsuka loved it all. He also peeked over Soubi's shoulder to see what he was working on. Just like he thought, another butterfly. Didn't Soubi have anything else to paint? His butterflies were beautiful and exotic in their own way, but wouldn't he get bored of painting them over and over again? This particular one had deep purple wings with a black outline. Towards the inside of the wings, the shade got lighter and lighter, but it ended before a shade of white appeared. The backdrop was a night sky with rain falling on half of the canvas. The butterfly was flying towards the other side; the lighter side. And as it was reaching its destination, its appearance had a brighter look to it without having to change the colors. Overall, it was one of Soubi's best paintings yet.

As Soubi finished pondering over how to decipher Kio's message, he noticed a shadow of black swirling up and down his leg. He looked down and saw a tail; Ritsuka's tail. He watched as the boy bore his eyes into the artwork as if his life depended on it. Soubi knew Ritsuka would be unresponsive if he was concentrating hard enough, so he took this as an opportunity and captured the subconsciously moving tail. When Soubi got a hold of it, he started at the tip and ran his hands up gently until he reached the base. This seemed to have gotten the neko-boy's attention as he jumped up and yelped. He looked down at a smirking Soubi and bent over to grab his blanket and wrap himself in his self-made cocoon.

"Soubi, what was that for?" A shocked Ritsuka stood an arm's length away from the perverted adult.

Soubi looked up sheepishly "Well, I had to get your attention somehow, and as luck would have it, your tail was infatuated with my leg. It was a 2-for-1 deal that I had to take."

"You could have broken my trance some other way; you didn't have to be a pervert about it. And my tail was most certainly NOT touching you." Ritsuka let his head drop and his hair cover his eyes while trying to hide the blush forming from ear to ear. Soubi took note of this and got up to stand behind Ritsuka. He bent over a bit so that he could reach Ritsuka's ears and whispered, "I told you, I am not a pervert, but if your tail was that interested in me, I wonder what the rest of you thinks of me."

Ritsuka got so red, that he blew up in Soubi's face. "STOP IT! I told you, I wasn't touching you, and I DON'T think of you as anything BUT a friend! So please, just stop…" Ritsuka couldn't help the tears that were falling and instantly felt a pair of strong, warm arms pull him until they were completely around his waist. Ritsuka buried his head into Soubi's chest and took tight fistfuls of his shirt. Soubi ran comforting circles on the small of Ritsuka's back to help calm him down as he spoke sorrowful words. "I am sorry Ritsuka, I did not mean to cause you harm. Please forgive me, and show me your beautiful eyes. I hate seeing them sad and distressed. Let me help clear these tears that I have caused." Ritsuka glanced up to see Soubi's worried eyes and shot his head back down, but Soubi was quicker and raised it back up. He gently wiped the tears away with one hand as the other one massaged his cat ears. After Ritsuka stopped crying, he detached himself from Soubi and took a couple of steps back. Soubi watched the broken Ritsuka stumble through the studio and called him back. "Hey Ritsuka, would you like to go out and grab a bite to eat? Then after, we can go to the park, or just walk around; whatever you want to do. So, how bout it?"

Ritsuka's ears perked up and a small smile shown through the dark hair as he nodded. "Ok, let's go" Ritsuka went to the door to put on his shoes and slide into his coat. When they were both ready, Ritsuka grabbed Soubi's hand and pulled him out of the apartment as they set off on their little adventure.

SRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSR

**A/N- Yea, so I know I talked at the beginning of the chapter, but please bear with me. I didn't really like the ending of this chapter. I wrote the first half about a week ago, and decided to finish it today. So I am deeply sorry if this chapter sux, but I have an idea or two for the next one. This didn't really have any importance, it was just a chapter for them to get closer, and I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like Ritsuka is always crying. Well, you know what to do, so please review and like I said before, if you have any ideas or criticism, they are appreciated and highly recommended. Thanks again!**

**Much luv,**

**XOiHeaRTMiLoOX**


	5. Date Ruined

Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless

Chapter 5- Date Ruined

As they walked, hand-in-hand, people from every direction stopped and stared at the odd couple. Ritsuka noticed this and suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Soubi, sensing Ritsuka's discomfort, squeezed his hand in reassurance and continued on their way to the park, ignoring the nosey and ignorant passersby that couldn't take their eyes off of them.

"Soubi, why is everyone watching us? Did I do something wrong?"

Soubi looked down and resented Ritsuka with one of his gentle smiles. "Of course not; if anything, it's me that they are staring at."

Ritsuka's big, innocent eyes filled with confusion, "But why? You didn't do anything either."

They finally made it to the park and Soubi escorted Ritsuka over to a secluded picnic table. He sat him down and then forced himself to the other side. Watching and waiting, Ritsuka didn't know what to do, so he stared at the table. That is until he heard the blonde speak again. Ritsuka lifted his head, only to be encountered by a saddened Soubi. "Well, technically I didn't, but everyone is assuming other possibilities, so in the end, I will get blamed."

"Blamed? Blamed for what?"

"This." Soubi caught the neko-boy off guard with the kiss, and Ritsuka instantly pulled away.

"Soubi! W-What do you think you're doing!?"

Soubi had expected some sort of outburst from the child, but did he take it too far? Guess it's time for him to find out.

"Kissing you. Did you not like it? Are you repulsed by me now?" Soubi got up to walk away, but Ritsuka jumped up and caught him.

"No! Soubi, stay!" Ritsuka screamed, Soubi stopped, and the world seemed to go silent. A small smirk appeared on his usually stoic face, which worried what Ritsuka had just done. Soubi knelt down on one knee, took Ritsuka's hand, and placed a gentle kiss upon it. "Yes, master."

Ritsuka pulled away and took a few steps back. Ears lowered, showing off his embarrassment. "D-don't call me that; you're weird!"

"Who's weird? Us? Well, that's not very nice. We haven't greeted properly, and you're already calling us names?"

Bushes rustled and out came 2 boys; one with long, mint green hair, and the other with burgundy hair and an eye patch. Ritsuka jumped up and stood next to Soubi.

"State your purpose." Soubi commanded and pushed Ritsuka behind him.

The boys moved closer as Ritsuka moved back. "Actually, we're here to speak with Number 12, so if you wouldn't mind getting out of our way, that would make our job easier."

"Well, it looks like _Ritsuka_ doesn't want to talk right now, so leave. Plus, you're ruining our 'date'."

Youji's patience was running out. "Hey! We can't leave until we-wait; did you say that you two were on a date?"

Natsuo giggled in the background, "Pervert."

Soubi stood up for himself. "I am not a pervert. Aren't you rude little brats?"

"Yea, yea, we've heard that one before. Now back to our mission. Wait, where's Ritsuka!?"

Soubi looked behind him, but his little neko-chan was nowhere to be found.

"Damnit! Now what are we supposed to do!? Sensei will be mad at us…"

Youji turned around to give Soubi a menacing glare while he held a crestfallen Natsuo in his arms. "This isn't the last that you will hear from us!"

And in a flash, they were gone.

**XOiHeaRTMiLoOX**: Sorry it's a bit short, but after this long of a hiatus, something's better than nothing, right??? Let me know whatcha think! And like always, thanks for reading!


	6. Another Fight and a New Revelation

Chapter 6 – Another Fight and a New Revelation

After the strange boys left, Soubi ran back to the one place where Ritsuka felt safe, their apartment. _"Hm, I wonder when I started calling it 'our apartment'. It's got a nice ring to it."_

He finally reached to the door and found that it had already been unlocked. He opened it carefully just in case it wasn't his neko.

"Ritsuka, are you here?"

No answer.

"Come out Ritsuka, they left, its ok now. Please come out."

Soubi wandered into his bedroom and saw a large mass formed under his covers. To prove his suspicions, Soubi went around to the other side and caught hold of the shaking, frigid tail. An "Eeek" erupted from under the comforter, and the tail tried to break free of its captor, but the one on the outside was too strong. Instead of bringing Ritsuka out, Soubi decided to go in and comfort the frightened boy.

As he slid in, the first thing he noticed was how much the boy was quivering. So he pulled Ritsuka to him and laid him on his chest, while wrapping his arms protectively around the boy's waist. Soubi still held Ritsuka's tail captive, and caressed the soft fur, up and down. This soothed Ritsuka and soon enough, Soubi could feel the soft, even breaths coming from the boy on top of him.

A good four hours later, Ritsuka awoke to a pair of arms securing him from the rest of the world. He snuggled closer to the warmth, but suddenly opened his eyes when he felt himself being pulled even closer. Deep purple found icy blue and a deep blush formed. He struggled to free himself from the blonde's grasp, but failed miserably, and was pulled back each time.

"Hmf, Soubiii, let me go already!"

Soubi smirked, but refused the boy's request. "Not until you tell me who those 2 boys were and why they want you so bad."

Ritsuka broke free, but opted to sit on Soubi instead. He traced the toned lines on Soubi's chest through the fitted shirt, so as to not stare at the intense gaze Soubi was giving him.

"I've never seen them before."

Soubi sat up with Ritsuka still sitting on him. "Well, it seemed like **they** knew **you**."

"They must've mistaken me for someone else because, like I've told you, I've never seen them before."

There was no way that Soubi would fall for that. He wanted answers and he wasn't going to give up until he got them.

"So, you're saying that 2 random boys came out of the blue, looking for someone that looked like you. Plus, they called you number 12 and you responded by running away. Are you still going to stick with your story?"

Ritsuka knew what Soubi was trying to do, and he wasn't going to fall got it. "Yes Soubi, I am, and you can't trick me into saying otherwise!"

Ritsuka jumped off Soubi and locked himself into the bathroom. He took Soubi's shaving razor and started slashing himself, but no blood spilled. Ritsuka's tears flowed like waterfalls as he kept slashing, but still, nothing marred his perfect porcelain-like skin. He fell to the floor and threw the razor as the door with disgust.

"Why!? Why won't I bleed!? I'm not normal! I just want to be like everyone else…human."


	7. Master?

**Chapter 7- Master?**

An hour later Ritsuka emerged from the bathroom, tears dried and breathing evened. Soubi had been pacing back and forth in the living room, worried that he'd crossed the line this time. He'd even called Kio after the first half hour of not knowing what to do.

"_I've never felt this way before, so useless. I just don't know what to do…"_

He stopped his pacing when he heard soft feet padding across the wooden floor. The sullen faced Ritsuka looked up and stumbled over to Soubi. Tears building up, Ritsuka launched himself at Soubi and held on tight. The tears were released and a new waterworks show began.

"I'm so sorry Soubi! You are nothing but nice to me and I always treat you so poorly! I just-I just…"

"Sh, Ritsuka, it's ok. What is it that you want to say? Whatever you say will never ever jeopardize your living situation. Remember that, and learn to trust me. I too am sorry; I shouldn't have pushed you like that."

Soubi rubbed gentle, soothing circles in Ritsuka's back to try and calm his neko-chan.

"Soubi, how can you blame yourself when all I do is yell and run away? How can you still treat me so kindly, and not be upset with me?"

Ritsuka's small hands uncurled slightly so that he would be able to lift his head. Soubi picked him up gingerly and carried his him over to the couch where he let the boy curl up on his lap. Eyes began to droop while hands unfurled as Ritsuka began to doze off. With lips slightly parted, Ritsuka whispered, "Thank you Soubi." before his world once again, went black…

Ritsuka awoke and jumped up, once realizing his surroundings. "Where am I!?"

He looked around, a dark 8x8 cell with a clasp in the bars for food to slide in. There was a tatami mat on the floor with a complimentary pillow and blanket.

"That dream again…It comes almost every night, so I don't know why I'm still confused when I wake up. I wonder where Soubi is; is he even still alive?"

SRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSR

Soubi had been a wreck the last couple of weeks. He had been searching for Ritsuka everywhere, but all of his leads turned up dead ends. He still dreamed of that night…

_"Thank you Soubi."_

_Soubi smiled as he felt his little kitten snuggle closer. "I don't remember the last time I had been this happy."_

_He looked up suddenly, realizing that something was wrong. He heard a sound outside, so he put a blanket over Ritsuka before getting up and checking it out. He slowly opened the door to find, nothing._

_"Strange." He thought, but just as he was about to close the door, a hand with long, slender fingers shot out and grabbed a hold of the handle, forcing his way in._

_All of the ruckus woke poor Ritsuka up, and as he finally realized what was going on, his eyes widened in pure terror._

_A blonde man, equal to Soubi's height, walked in with a pale man with long, dark hair and a black trench coat in toe._

_"So, we meet again." the dark haired man smirked._

_"Who are you?" Soubi growled, anger building up inside of him._

_"Akame Nisei and you are Soubi. How nice to finally meet you." _

_"Nisei, stop talking. We have work to do. Get the boy, Master is getting impatient." The blonde man's eyes glinted as he watched Soubi's face go from angry to confused, to surprised._

_"Yes, Agatsuma Soubi, that means that I will be taking away your precious Ritsuka. Speaking of Ritsuka, where is our 'little' experiment?_

_"Aw, but Ritsu-sensei, we just got here. Can't we stay and play with Soubi's body before we go? It's been __**ages**__ since I've gotten to torture someone!"_

_"Silence! You lost those privileges when you let number 12 escape! Now, Master is already pissed, let's not worsen his mood."_

_Nisei let out a deep sigh and went in search of Ritsuka. Soubi had stayed silent, partially because he was taking in all of the information that he had just overheard, and partially because he was afraid for Ritsuka's life. He'd had hoped that Nisei would bypass the cute, little, black ears that were peeking out from behind the dark blanket, but his senses were impeccable and pulled Ritsuka out instantly._

_"Ha, gotcha! Now, come with us peacefully, and you Soubi won't get hurt."_

_Ritsuka stopped thrashing about and looked at Soubi regretfully. Shiny pearls slid down his face. "Goodbye Soubi. Thanks for everything, and I'm sorry that I got you mixed up in all of this. Please, don't look for me…"_

_Nisei put Ritsuka down and he silently walked out of the apartment. Ritsu-sensei followed, and Nisei took the rear, but not before leaving Soubi a present._

_"Ugh!"_

_Ritsuka whipped his head around to find Soubi on the floor, writhing in pain and holding the back of his head. Nisei slipped the crowbar back into his trench coat and walked out without a word._

_"You promised not to hurt him!" Ritsuka screamed. He tried to run to Soubi's side, but Ritsu-sensei stopped him. _

_"I never __**promised**__ anything, number 12." Nisei grinned from ear to ear._

_"You bastard!" Ritsuka went after Nisei, claws erect and ready to strike, but Ritsu-sensei picked him up before any damage could come to his servant._

_"Enough. Leave him number 12."_

_The last thing Soubi saw were the tears that Ritsuka cried for him._

**A/N-** Wow, sorry for the uberly long delay. I've actually had this chapter written for months, but then I had medical problems and had to have brain surgery in August, so yea, my bad for not updating. BUT I have the next chapter written, and there will be a traitor, but on who's side, Soubi's or Master's? Keep reading to find out! And thanks again for all the support and patience!


	8. A Traitor Among Us

**Chapter 8 –A Traitor Among Us**

Days passed, and Soubi fell into a depression so bad that not even Kio could cheer him up.

"Come on man, you've got to get out of this place; it's only bringing you down."

"I don't deserve to go outside; I've looked everywhere already…"

"I hate to have to say this, but maybe you should give up…if you haven't gotten any leads by now, I doubt you will."

"No! I must keep trying, I can't give up now. I promised to always protect him; now I have to make up for my failed promise."

"He probably understands, promises can be broken."

"Not mine."

"And anyways, didn't he say not to look for him?"

"Yea but- wait, how did you know that? I never told you what he said."

"I um…"

**Ding Dong**

"Phew, saved by the bell, literally."

"Stay here, I'm not done with you yet."

Soubi opened the door to reveal Yuiko standing there nervously, wearing a light pink dress that was covered in dirt and leaves.

"Yuiko, what happened?"

"Can I come in? It's about Ritsuka."

Soubi's eyes widened as he ushered the girl into the living room and onto the couch right next to Kio.

"Yuiko, this is-"

"Uh, hi Kio-san, please don't tell Master or Sensei about this!"

Once again Soubi was confused while watching the pink haired girl kneeled in front of Kio and begged him to keep her visit a secret.

"So, how do you know each other?"

"_Wait, the guy that took Ritsuka was a Sensei, and they were taking him to Master…"_

"You bastard!" Soubi flew across the table and punched Kio square in the face. After the initial shock of being hit by Soubi, Kio struggled to get up, but was thrown against the wall and held by the blonde demon. Soubi had his ex-best friend by the throat and watched maliciously as Kio gasped for air.

"You've know where Ritsuka was this whole time, and you had no intention of ever telling me!?" Soubi growled.

"I-I had my orders, sorry Sou-chan, but I c-couldn't tell you." Kio's arms flailed, still trying to release the hold that stopped his much needed oxygen.

Just as Kio was about to pass out, Soubi dropped the green haired man, who graciously accepted the fresh air.

"Sit." Soubi commanded, pointing towards the couch. When all 3 were situated, Soubi demanded an explanation.

"Well, um, you see, we can't tell you exactly where num-, I mean, Ritsuka is, but we can tell you that he is safe."

"Uh, Kio-san, actually that's why I'm here. You see, Master was so upset that 'his' Ritsuka ran from him, that he ordered Ultimate Punishment for him."

Soubi shot up and slammed his hands on the table.

"What!? What's Ultimate Punishment?"

Kio grimaced, knowing that it would hurt Soubi, and felt bad because he really did like Sou-chan. Yuiko was really hesitant, but continued.

"Ultimate Punishment is…"

**A/N- So, did you guys guess correctly??? It was none other than Kio! Sorry this chapter sucks and is basically all dialogue, but this was more of an information chapter. Already started the next chapter and should be up soon!**

**Much luv,**

**xoiheartmiloox**


	9. Visions

Chapter 9- Visions

"Ultimate Punishment is-"

"Wait Yuiko, I should tell him, since I was technically the one who invented it." Kio felt like shit, seeing Soubi's eyes widen with shock and hurt. Kio looked down ashamed, but continued, Ultimate Punishment is what happens when an experiment-"

"Experiment? You mean Ritsuka is an experiment!? What kind of fucked up organization are you!?"

"Yes, sadly Ritsuka is an experiment, but I'm sorry Sou-chan, I can't go into full detail about the company. Just know that we are not hurting any animals or _humans._"

"Fine. But continue with the Ultimate Punishment."

"Oh yea, it's when a bad experiment is taken from the group and put into isolation. Usually they stay there for a few years, but sometimes they get out early for good behavior or if Master calls for them. If that happens, not only do we not know what happens to them, but we never see them again. In Ritsuka's case, since he ran away and was Master's favorite, he may get called out early, so if you're going to save him, you better hurry."

"But how can I save him if I don't even know where he is!?"

Soubi was frustrated by now, all he wanted was his Ritsuka, and all he was getting was worse and worse news. But he had to keep his hopes up, for his and Ritsuka's sake.

The sudden bright light blinded the poor neko-chan that had been in isolation for weeks now. Food was slid in through the slot, but was left untouched, just like all the rest.

"Why do they keep trying to feed me, it's not like I need food to survive, all I need is Soubi…He's probably happy without me and my troubled past. He didn't need any excess stress in his life; I wonder why he put up with me as long as he had.

"My dear Ritsuka, have you learned your lesson yet?" Someone appeared out of the shadows and came into Ritsuka's cell. Ritsuka's eyes widened as he scooted into the dark corner, and curled up into a ball, afraid of what Master was going to do to him.

The dark haired figure reached out for Ritsuka's face and gently glided his hand down to the base of his neck.

"Why do you react negatively to my touch? Am I that repulsing that you now hate what I show as love?"

"But Master, I was happy, why did you have to take me away…away from my home, away from Soubi…why?"

The more tears that Ritsuka cried for Soubi, the angrier Master became.

"Why? Why!? I'll tell you why; it's because you belong to ME! I created you, you are mine! Got that? Oh, and as for your precious Soubi, don't expect to see him ever again."

Ritsuka slumped back down into the corner, hopelessness in his eyes and pain in his heart. Master's eyes softened as he calmed and crouched down in front of Ritsuka. He reached for his face again, but Ritsuka felt no need to try and fight back this time, what was the point?

"Ritsuka, I'm sorry for yelling at you like that, but you don't know how much I've missed you. I lost one before, I couldn't let you do the same. I love you."

Master leaned forward and gently pressed his lips onto Ritsuka's, but received no response from the young 'experiment'. When Master finally released the kiss, he leaned back with sadness in his eyes.

"Please Ritsuka, try and understand my feelings. Out of everyone here, you are my favorite, and I can't stop thinking about you. I could've kept you for myself, but I wanted you to have some freedom and be happy."

Instantly Ritsuka was filled with rage.

"BUT I WAS HAPPY! And you took that away from me…Master, I'm sorry, but I can't return your feelings, I love Soubi…"

Master got up and left silently. Just as he was about to leave, he turned around and smiled sinisterly.

"Fine, since you want your Soubi so bad, I'll leave you here for him to find,, if he comes for you that is."

Ritsuka's eyes glistened slightly with happiness and a bit of hope.

"But, if he does not come in 3 days, Ultimate Punishment will be sentenced upon you."

With the slam of the cell, Ritsuka curled into a ball and fell asleep.

"Soubi…"

Soubi thrashed about in a fitful sleep.

"Ritsuka, where are you? I need to find you. Where are you…" Soubi mumbled as he entered the deepest part of his mind. Scenes flashed before him as if watching pieces of different slideshows all at once.

**[Each new font is a different vision]**

"_Come to me."_

_A small blonde boy with ears looked up and saw a tall man beckoning him forward._

"_Who are you?"_

"_It doesn't matter who I am, all you need to know is that you are now mine."_

"_But where are my mom and dad?"_

"_They are dead."_

_The boy's eyes filled with horror and disbelief._

"_You lie! Take me back to them now!"_

_**After the boy was taken to the 2 new graves with his parents' names etched I the granite, he broke down and sobbed for hours. That was the last time he would cry, he promised himself.**_

"_You will be staying here with me."_

"_What shall I call you?"_

"_You are to call me 'Master'. Is that understood?"_

"_Yes, Master."_

_**The young boy entered his Master's room. **_

"_**You called for me?"**_

_**The man looked up from his book and took off his glasses, placing them on the bedside table, and walked over to the boy. The boy squeezed his eyes shut as him Master caressed his flawless face. **_

"_**Today you are to become a man. Do you know how you can do this?"**_

_**The boy shook his head.**_

"_**Heh, well then, I will have to show you."**_

"Master, here is the boy I told you about."

A slightly shorter male stepped out of the limousine and walked up to the blonde man and now earless boy. Upon inspecting him, the dark haired male shook hands with the blonde and took the boy from his grasp.

"Thank you for your hard work, you will be paid double for your services."

Just as they were heading into the limo, the boy yelled out, "Master, where is he taking me!?"

"This is your new 'Master'. You are to call me 'Sensei' now. Be good for your 'Master'."

Soubi woke with a start. Why had these visions appeared to him? He looked outside and noticed the sun coming up.

"Guess it's time to look for you, Ritsuka."

But just before he could finish his thought, the doorbell rang.


	10. Day 1, Part 1

Chapter 10- Day 1, Part 1

Soubi opened the door to find an unmarked parcel. Inside was a note addressed to him.

_Soubi,_

_Go to the place where we first met, at 10 AM, and all will be explained on how to find Ritsuka._

_ Kio_

Soubi looked at his watch, which read 9:45. It took him 5 minutes to get to the place, so he made himself a cup of coffee before heading out. Wrapping his scarf around his neck, Soubi lit a cigarette and made his way to see his long forgotten parents.

Sitting on the grave markers was his 'friend', Kio. Soubi walked over, not too pleased with a traitor so close to his diseased parents.

"Kio, get off of them, it's disrespectful."

"Aw, but Sou-chan, they're dead, they won't know." But Kio hopped off when he witnessed Soubi's dark, threatening glare.

"So, how can I find Ritsuka?"

"Tsk tsk, all work and no play. It's always Ritsuka this, and Ritsuka that. What do you see in that thing anyways?"

Instantly Kio was thrown to the ground with a very pissed off Soubi hovering over him.

"Don't you **ever** say that about Ritsuka, do you hear me? He acts more human than you do, and he's only 12."

"Hey, don't get me wrong, he's a strong-willed kid, but you know that once Ritsuka reaches a certain age, he will stop aging. Soubi, these experiments can't die of old age. Don't you understand? What will happen to Ritsuka when you die? He will be alone again. Master won't accept him back, so what, is he going to sit around and rot? He will have no home to go to. Maybe Ultimate Punishment is for the best."

Soubi leaned down so his face was right next to Kio's.

"If you ever say that again, **you** will be begging for Ultimate Punishment once I'm through with you." Soubi brought Kio back to his feet.

"Ok, so now tell me, how can I find Ritsuka?"

Kio pulled out a pen and a piece of paper and scribbled down an address.

"Go to this address. The man there should be able to help you more than I can."

Soubi took the paper and headed out of the secluded cemetery.

"Wait!" Soubi paused mid-step. "I-I just wanted to say that I am sorry, and I truly hope that you find Ritsuka before it's too late. Out of all of the experiments, he's had it the worst…"

Soubi kept walking, not looking back to see Kio's guilt stricken face, now even more determined to get Ritsuka back.

Ritsuka hadn't moved in days; he didn't feel the need to. He was waiting for Soubi, so why not save up energy for when he sees him? That's what he told himself, anyways. Every night he'd dream of the day when Soubi would show up at his cell, arms outreached, waiting for Ritsuka to jump into them. That was the only place that Ritsuka felt truly safe, enclosed in the strong arms of his…wait, what exactly was their relationship? Sure he'd kissed him, but Soubi never said if they were an official couple. Then again, they haven't known each other for that long, and Ritsuka didn't accept the kiss when Soubi had given it. He liked snuggling with Soubi and being wrapped in his arms, but he was still only a child, what did Soubi expect from him? Ritsuka curled himself into a ball and lied down, back facing the cell door. Every few hours Master would come down to check on his favorite 'pet', and each time he would find Ritsuka in the same position, no movement, no responses to his calls or conversations.

"Ritsuka, please look at me? I'm just here to make sure that you are still alive, so all I ask for is a twitch, something so that I know that you are ok." Just so that Master wouldn't come in, Ritsuka flicked his tail once, and put it back down.

"Thank you. Please try and eat something, and I will be back to check up on you soon."

Master left and once again there was silence. That was until Ritsuka heard someone coming down the stairs. Wait, Master was just there; who else could-  
"Hey Ritsuka-chan, long time no see! I see you were caught in the end…"  
Ritsuka turned around at the insulting person, well people.  
"What the hell do you guys want!?" Ritsuka hissed, the fur on his tail standing stiff.  
"Aw Youji, Rit-chan doesn't like us anymore! We just wanted to play." Now Ritsuka was really upset.  
"Play? Play!? If I remember correctly, weren't you guys the ones who tried to take me away from Soubi, and back to this horrible place? Not only that, but you ruined my first date! And now you guys have the nerve to come down here and treat me like a person when before you considered me an object! Don't think I didn't catch that 'Number 12' crap that you referred to me as!"  
"Oye, oye Ritsuka, take a breath. We're sorry that we had to do that, but you know that we can't disobey 'Master'. We were going to just warn you, but 'Master' was suspicious and attached a camera to Natsuo's eye patch. It was one of those super small spy ones, so no one would be able to detect it. But you're ok; we thought Sensei would do something to you before he gave you back to 'Master'." Natsuo rubbed his patched eye, remembering when he disobeyed Sensei. Youji never really recovered from seeing his lover's eye sight in his right eye taken from him, and so cruelly too…After hearing that, Ritsuka couldn't stay mad at them, they were experiments, just like him.  
"Sorry guys, but I'm not in the mood for your games right now. If you don't mind, could you please leave?"  
"But Ritsuka, we wanted to hear more about Soubi."  
"Yea, we only got to see him, and man is he a looker!"  
"Youji, are you saying that I'm not good enough for you?" Natsuo teared trying to get Youji's attention. Youji scooped Natsuo up into his arms and held him close.  
"Of course not my love, no one can compare to you; not even close." He pecked Natsuo's cheek before placing a gentle kiss on his eye patch. Ritsuka watched this, absolutely in awe at how much they cared for each other, and wondered if he'd ever get that.  
Soubi…

Soubi finally found the house that matched the address given to him by Kio. But when he got there, something was off, almost like he'd been there before. But that can't be, since he doesn't remember, and it's not like you could forget this house. It stood at 5 floors high with a basement and extended garage. The exterior design was a black, gothic style, and way too many windows to count. There was an ominous cloud hovering over the structure, but Soubi started up the pathway to the door.  
_"Remember that this is for Ritsuka."  
_When he got to the door, he rang the bell and waited for hopefully the man with the answers to Ritsuka's whereabouts.


End file.
